Peace Boat to Visit New York City: October 20-21
This fall, the world’s largest passenger ship sailing around the world for peace, sustainability and innovation is coming to New York City for two days as part of Peace Boat’s 92nd Global Voyage for Peace. An award-winning international non-profit organization, Peace Boat is currently developing an “Ecoship”- the world’s first ecologically sustainable passenger ship. On October 20th, Peace Boat will host a public event onboard, inviting the New York City community to learn more about Peace Boat’s...

The Characteristicsof Ecotourism Development in Russia’s Oldest National Parks
Maxim A. Kharitonenkov
The Center for problems of ecology and productivity of forests of the Russian Academy of Sciences (CEPF)
kharitonenkov.ma@gmail.com
For the last decades we can clearly observe apparent changes of priorities and aspirations of tourists throughout the world. More and more people, especially in the industrialized countries, destine from the cities towards the cantons of relatively undisturbed nature. In contrast to the traditional beach-...

"Boosting sustainability, quality and market visibility of green destinations" with Albert Salman
TIES Member and ESTC Speaker Albert Salman will be presenting July's edition of the Ecotourism Master Class Series on "Boosting sustainability, quality and market visibility of green destinations". Albert created Green Destinations, which is now developing into the Green Destinations Partnership, bringing together 30 international experts, companies, and NGOs. He is the initiator and manager of the Global Sustainable Tourism Review (GSTR), and of the...

Interview with Machete Tours
Machete Tours is an eco-tourism company running enlightening and entertaining cultural, wilderness and activity tours in South America. From stories of ancient Inca creation Myths told amidst the misty and dramatic ruins of pre-Colombian citadels to living demonstrations of Peruvian festivals and insights into day to day life Machete Tours can guarantee ethical adventures that are both rich and inspiring.
Why are ecotourism and sustainable tourism principles important to Machete Tours?
We consider ecotourism participation and...

Learn About Sustainable Tourism from TIES at the Green Festival Expo
TIES believe that one of the best ways to unite conservation, communities, and sustainable travel is to educate tourists. That is why we are partnering with the Green Festival Expo, US’s largest sustainability and green consumer event, which attracts over 120,000 attendees. We feel that partnering with the event is a meaningful and social engagement that will assist in raising the principles of ecotourism and sustainable tourism to the world at large.
Says Jon Bruno, TIES Executive Director,...

Why Tourism Should Do More for Endangered Species:
Australian tourism companies face increasing pressure on their natural assets, so one wildlife tour operator is leading the way by turning a negative into a positive
International award-winning tour operator Janine Duffy believes that being pro-active about endangered species and habitats is good for the environment, good for her clients and good for business. Said Ms. Duffy:
“In Australia, most tourism operators rely on some aspect of the natural environment. As an industry we can't hide our heads in the sand...

First Sustainable Tourism Workshop
on Ilhabela Island, Brazil
The municipality of Ilhabela Island, on the north coast of the state of São Paulo, hosted its 1st Sustainable Tourism Workshop, held between April 1 and 3, 2016. This following the World Travel Market Latin America which was held in São Paulo from March 29 to 31, 2016. In Ilhabela, more than 50 local tourism professionals and visitors, including hotel owners, operators, consultants, media and public officials, such as the Secretary of Tourism Harry Finger and manager of Ilhabela State Park, Joan Fava Alves,...

Ecuador has experienced a 7.8-magnitude earthqake on Saturday, April 16, at 18:58. The epicenter, off the pacific coast, affected mainly coastal areas. Population centers in the highlands, such as the capital Quito still received tremors but to a much lesser degree.
Mauricio Rodas Espinel, mayor of Quito, has informed the public the earthquake affected 6 dwellings in the city, 3 of them in the Southern district, which is outside the traditional tourist areas. 16 people have been evacuated to municipal shelters. At this time, damage of patrimonial spaces in Quito’s Historical...

Aardvark Safari's Top 5 Sustainable Travel Destinations for 2016
The world’s changing fast. The climate is warming. Wildlife migration patterns are changing. Some of our natural resources are dwindling. And sometimes it feels like the people with power have no interest in doing anything about it. Sometimes, it seems, the rest of us - those without a lot of political or philanthropic sway, but who do want to do something about it - are powerless to stem the literal rising tide of ecological disaster.
But it’s important to know that we’re not powerless...

Two weeks ago TIES Marketing and Event Manager, Lauren Melde, traveled to Belize to get a firsthand look at the country's ecotourism and adventure tourism initiatives. Keep reading to hear tips and tricks for your next eco-adventure, hopefully in beautiful, green Belize!
Enjoying the sunrise from the top of the Mayan High Temple
at Lamanai Archeological Site in Indian Church, Belize
One of my favorite aspects of traveling is flying over my country of destination and seeing how vastly different the scene is than where I am from. More than that, I experience a burst of...

GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training: Upcoming Classes in South Africa, Washington DC and Greece
The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program is designed to benefit tourism industry practitioners including hotels, operators, tourism destinations, and professionals involved in sustainability standards for travel and tourism. The training covers global trends in sustainable tourism and sustainability best practices, and provides a comprehensive overview of the GSTC Criteria, the global baseline standards for sustainability in travel and tourism.
Please review the upcoming training...

Interview with Irene Lane
Ecotourism Master Class Series
‘The Bottom Line Financial Effect, ROI of "Going Green"
April 13 at 8am and 8pm EST
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your work with Greenloons?
I am the founder of Greenloons, which is an online platform of eco-certified experiences that inspire people to think different, be different and travel different – in ways that help to ensure a more sustainable planet. More recently, I started EcotourismROI.com as a result of designing a financial model that helps tourism boards,...

Ecotourism Master Class Interview: Pamela Lanier on Agritourism
Pamela Lanier will be presenting at the next Ecotourism Master Class Series on The Place of Agritourism in the Ecotourism Big Picture. She will assess the ways agritourism can add upon and expand an existing ecotourism business such as lodges, touring companies, and community agricultural efforts with a focus on indigenous communities with proximity to protected areas, such as parks. Pamela has been a TIES member for many years and recently presented at ESTCNA in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Can you...

"At the farthest reaches of the world often occurs new marvels and wonders, as though Nature plays with greater freedom secretly at the edges of the world than she does openly and nearer us in the middle of it."- Ranulf Higden, 14th century
Higden was onto something when he wrote that famous line almost a millennium ago; the capacity to be curious is what drives human exploration. Without it, you and I wouldn’t be communicating right now; in fact we might have never made it out of Africa. But what if the wanderlust that keeps us thirsty for adventure could be...

CapeNature and Mountain Club SA welcome international climbers
To showcase South Africa’s world class rock climbing, CapeNature and the Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA) will welcome members of the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) for a 10-day climbing tour of the country.
Starting in the Cederberg Wilderness Area, the teams will climb together and share knowledge and experiences of this rapidly growing activity. The climbers will visit the world famous Wolfberg Cracks in the Cederberg before experiencing Table Mountain in Cape Town and Blouberg in Limpopo...

A Marketing Manual for Small Responsible Tourism Companies
One of the major challenges for small and responsible tourism companies is to build trust and manage gaining enough visibility towards potential visitors. Florie Thielin, Latin America Ambassador of the collaborative non-profit Hopineo platform worked specially on developing a manual of marketing for them. As all tools and solutions shared on Hopineo website, this manual is in free access to all in order to help the sector of responsible tourism progress forward.
Traveling through Latin America, from Mexico to...

Sustainable Tourism in Hawaii: From the Mountains to the Reefs
An article by TIES member Valley Isle Excursions
Hawaii is known as one of the world’s top vacation destination. But what most people don’t know is that the Hawaiian Islands are also a conservation hotspot. Hawaii boasts over 25,000 unique species - some of which are found nowhere else on earth. Unfortunately, many of Hawaii’s fragile habitats and species are threatened by population growth, development, pollution, overuse, and climate change. In fact, Hawaii has one of the highest...

TrainingAid Live Session (Feb 29) with Julia Barrero, head of marketing, Xola
Sign Up: http://bit.ly/TourismTL1602 (registration is free)
FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1513655962272659/
Session Description
Are you asking the right questions to maximize the return on your marketing investment? Join tourism marketing specialist, Julia Barrero of Xola.com, as she guides you through a strategic framework and key Google Analytics reports that will help you market with confidence.
Watch this free Live Session to:
Confidently plan your marketing...

Interview with Scott Dye
Scott Dye, along with Michelle Powelson, will presenting TIES' next Ecotourism Master Class: A Multifaceted Approach to Golf Course Water Conservation. The case study investigates the most efficient and cost effective water conservation options for the San Diego based golf course. A portion of this research will be published in TIES founder and Harvard Professor Dr. Megan Epler Wood’s new upcoming ecotourism book.
Can you tell us about yourselves and why you think ecotourism and sustainable tourism is important?
I first became...